Question 1

Since this lesson is about the causative suffix -t, how would we change suluyor to mean the gardener is having someone else water the grass?

Accepted Answer

The verb root here is sula- (to water). Because it ends in a vowel, you apply the causative suffix -t to make the root sulat- (to have watered). The new verb form would be sulatıyor.

Question 2

The English translation says 'has been watering'. Why is the present continuous tense (suluyor) used instead of a past tense?

Accepted Answer

In Turkish, when an action started in the past and is still continuing right now, you use the present continuous tense (-ıyor). The English 'has been doing' concept is expressed simply by combining this present tense with a time expression like sabahtan beri (since morning).

Question 3

Why does sabah (morning) take the -tan ending before beri?

Accepted Answer

The postposition beri (since) always requires the preceding noun to take the ablative case (-dan/-den or -tan/-ten). Because sabah ends in a voiceless consonant (h), the suffix hardens to -tan.

Question 4

In English, 'grass' is uncountable and singular. Why is çimleri plural here?

Accepted Answer

While 'grass' is uncountable in English, Turkish treats çim as a countable noun. When talking about a lawn or a yard covered in grass, Turkish speakers naturally use the plural çimler. The final -i is the accusative case suffix, marking it as the specific direct object of the verb.

Bahçıvan çimleri sabahtan beri suluyor.

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